Gary’s Coaching Thought for the Week

“A good coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”

This quote from basketball coaching great, John Wooden, is a great reminder to all of us that our comments, feedback and general communication to our players have consequences. And each player interprets our communication either positively or negatively. I have become mindful to be responsible in my words and actions when communicating with young players. They will not always understand what I’m trying to say.

It is way too easy to use our young players as sounding boards to our emotions, feelings and aspirations. It is also way too easy to give our view on technique or strategy which as we know can be very different for each player and complicated for the player to decode.

The information we have to share might be really useful but needs to be framed and articulated with care.

Bob Woolmer was one of the best coaches South Africa ever had. His innovative approach to team strategy in ODI cricket was pioneering and we as a team benefited hugely. However, I never really connected with him on my own game. He had some lovely ideas how I could become a better player, but I don’t believe he truly understood how I was feeling about any potential shifts in my technique and what impact it would have on my performance.

In the words of highly respected English coach, Peter Moores – “The coach sees and the player feels. When these two meet is where real progress can be made.”